As the Wheels of Fate Turn
by Autobot Guardian
Summary: After going missing for two years from the Republic, Embo has returned... and he is both stronger and more fragile than ever. He has regained a part of him that was once lost, but horrible memories haunt his dreams. Can the Jedi and Sugi save him from his own past? And just who is responsible for this in the first place? He was Lost... but Has Been Found.
1. He Returns!

_**Hello, everyone! This has been a long time coming, but… I'M STARTING ANOTHER STORYLINE! I've been meaning to get this on the computer for a while now, but I've been so busy with Graduation and such that I haven't had the time! However, now that I've graduated, I'm ready to get rolling!**_

 _ **This plot, just to clear things up, does NOT include aspects that were in "Order 66" or many other episodes from later on in the series. Everything will be explained later on… So...**_

 _ **DISCLAIMERS!**_

 _ **Author does not own SWCW, nor any characters affiliated with such, only the OCs and the storyline! REMEMBER TO R &R!**_

 _ **(P.S. I'm going to be trying to put in quotes that mostly match each chapter… and I'll include a little key for you guys.**_ "Normal Speech", " **Embo's Language** ", _:comm messaging"_ , ' _Thoughts'_ , _~written text~_ _ **)**_

* * *

" _...From the ashes a fire shall be woken,_

 _A light from the shadows shall spring;_

 _Renewed shall be blade that was broken,_

 _The crownless again shall be king."_

 _~ J.R.R. Tolkien_

" _It gives me strength to have somebody to fight for;_

 _I can never fight for myself, but, for others,_

 _I can kill."_

 _~Emilie Autumn_

* * *

As Embo walked silently through the rock-covered landscape, he could hear the sounds of a battle not too far away. Looking around the side of a massive boulder, he could see the clones and droids trying to blast each other to pieces.

Typical.

Suddenly, he saw, just a few boulders ahead of him, a pair of wounded clones being treated by a medic. One of them looked close to death, lying unmoving in the relative safety of the large stone.

Wanting to help, the Kyuzo made his way over to the trio, keeping his head down behind the boulders to avoid droid detection, but froze when the still-conscious clone aimed a gun at his head.

"Don't come… one step… closer…" the clone panted, left hand pressed to the right side of his ribcage. Embo glanced worriedly to the unconscious clone and the medic, then back to the trooper currently aiming a gun at his face.

" **I want to help,** " Embo said, but, judging by the clone's confused expression, he didn't understand a word he'd said.

"Don't… move…" the trooper said, wincing as he took his left hand off of his side to reach for his helmet. Embo, in turn, winced at the painful-looking injury revealed on the clone's side, and he had to hold himself back from rushing over and startling the soldier into pulling the trigger. Once the clone had his helmet on, the hand covered the wound agan. "Okay.. repeat what… you said…"

" **I want to help,** " Embo's words caused the clone to lower the blaster a little, and the Kyuzo relaxed slightly. " **If you will let me… I can see to your injuries.** "

"Take care of Call-Out, first," the clone replied, lowering his blaster the rest of the way, "he got hit bad, worse than me."

Embo hurried over to the unconscious clone, and the medic moved to the side to give him a clear view.

Call-Out was in bad shape; a blaster wound in his abdomen, and a bleeding gash on his right temple. His breathing was shallow, and he was pale from shock and blood loss.

Reaching forward, the Kyuzo gently placed a hand on the bleeding hole in the clone's abdomen, reaching out through the Force to see the full extent of the damage. Muscle, skin, and several organs were charred and torn, and Embo urged the damaged tissue to regenerate and form together again. When he moved his hand away, the charred and bloodied hole was gone, the skin smooth and unblemished where it showed through the hole in the armor. Moving on to the head wound, the Kyuzo mended the flesh and bone, and reduced the swelling in Call-Out's brain, to rid him of his concussion. After then urging the soldier's bones to make more blood, Embo drew back.

" **I've mended the damage… he'll be fine,** " the Kyuzo said, then tended to the conscious trooper. After mending the muscle and skin that was damaged by a shot that had merely grazed the clone, Embo sat down, feeling nervous from the sounds of the battle drawing closer.

"What's your name?" Surprised, the Kyuzo looked to the trooper.

" **Embo…** "

"I'm Pummel. Thanks for helping, Embo. Really, thanks." Embo was about to respond, when a tank blast obliterated a boulder just seven feet away from them!

" **If we all survive this, we can talk gratitude later!** " Embo shouted, as more clones started taking cover behind boulders. The kyuzo grabbed a cylindrical object from where it hung on the left side of his hip, holding it in both hands as a blue-green lightsaber blade flared to life!

The blade was comprised of a main blade and two smaller blades; the main blade being the standard shape and 3 ½ feet in length, while the two smaller blades tilted up at a 45-degree angle on opposite sides of the main blade, bending straight up halfway and the tips reaching one fourth of the way up the main blade.

Embo jumped up on top of the boulder, rapidly swinging the lightsaber and deflecting the drods' blaster fire, sending it right back at them! The clones seemed to find courage from his presence, now holding their ground and firing back at the droids.

The Kyuzo was soon charging into the droid ranks, cutting them to pieces and knocking them back (both with the Force and well-aimed punches and kicks), while the clones followed him. Soon, and clone officer came up beside him, blasting away with dual pistols.

"Thanks for the assist! Think you could stick around a while longer?" Embo deflected a few more blaster bolts before he could answer.

" **Sure! What are we trying to accomplish?!** "

"These clankers are trying to take over our position here on Ryloth; we're trying to liberate the Twi'leks!" Embo's eyes narrowed, and idea coming to him.

" **Pull your men back behind the boulders; I don't want them caught in what I'm about to do!** " the officer nodded reluctantly, calling for his men to fall back. Soon, Embo was surrounded by the droid army.

"Uhh… do we take prisoners?" One battle droid asked another stupidly, speaking in its ridiculous, nasally, high-pitched annoying voice. Embo closed his eyes, putting his lightsaber away, and let his hands fall to his sides.

Then, reaching out with the Force, Embo arched his fingers, turning his hands palms-up, and started slowly raising his arms. At the same time, hundreds of droids and dozens of droid tanks lifted up off the ground and spun in a vortex around the Kyuzo! By the time his hands came level with his shoulders and stayed there, the machines were a blur of metal and explosions as they randomly collided with each other in the vortex!

Suddenly, Embo's hands fell to his sides once more, and everything suddenly crashed into the ground! Whatever survived the vortex was destroyed in that instant.

Then, just as the Kyuzo opened his eyes again, one of the few tanks he hadn't managed to lift with the Force fired at him! He attempted to leap to safety, but the explosion caught him, blasting him into the air as he let out a strangled cry of pain!

He hit the unforgiving ground just past the field of demolished droids, rolling a few yards until coming to a stop just a few feet from the boulders. His shield-hat hit the ground with a loud clatter, just a short way from him.

It was agony just lying there, but it hurt even more to move. It hurt to even _breathe_ , let alone try to get up. Then, he let out a choked gasp when a hand touched his left shoulder, agony flaring up at the gentle contact. Instantly, the hand moved away.

"Hey, can you hear me?" Embo moved his head slightly to the affirmative, but groaned at the pain the movement caused. Every inch of his body hurt, especially his back and nearly the entire left half of his body.

He could hear the clones finishing off the last of the droids, as he struggled to open his eyes. Finally, Embo managed to force his eyes open, and saw the clone officer kneeling next to him.

"Don't move, okay? Generals Kenobi and Skywalker should be here soon with the gunships to take us all back to the fleet…"

" **Sh… sh… i-ip…** " Embo whispered brokenly, trying to form words, but painful coughs followed the attempt, racking his weak and wounded form and nearly making him black out!

"Hey, hey, take it easy… I'll send some men to look for your ship, okay?" The officer's voice was kind, as he said, "It's gonna be ok… just relax…"

* * *

Rex watched the Kyuzo's eyes drift shut, feeling helpless as he studied his wounds. Burns nearly covered the entire left side of the man's body, several areas charred and bleeding, and cuts and bruises covered the rest of him. From the shallow breathing and odd positions of an arm and leg, several bones were broken.

"Rex!" At hearing his name shouted, the Captain looked up, and saw three Jedi running over.

"Generals, Commander," he said respectfully, nodding. Soon, the three were kneeling beside him, studying the prone figure.

"By the Force… Master, it's Embo!" Ahsoka gasped, suddenly recognizing the Kyuzo. Anakin's eyes widened.

"You're right… Kix, get over here!" The medic was soon there, and Rex sent a few tropers to find Embo's ship.

"Anakin, Embo hasn't been seen for two years… why is he here now?" Obi-Wan asked, as the clones got the Kyuzo onto a stretcher.

"I don't know, but he needs medical help! Come on!" Anakin rushed back into the gunship, following the stretcher. The others soon followed, and the ships soon took off...

* * *

 _ **And that's the first chapter! I've got the next 5 or 6 written up in a notebook, but it'll take a while to get them transferred onto the computer! WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?**_


	2. Meet the Younglings!

_**Okay, everyone, here we go! I've typed up another chappy of this new storyline, and starting it off with a bit of comedy! I'm also introducing a group of my OCs, and they are arguably the cutest little things you'll ever read about in my SWCW fics! (well, other than Marrock, that adorably ferocious anooba!)**_

 _ **Also, the chapter after this, I'll be bringing Embo back in, and some of the more major parts of my plotline here will be revealed, so keep an eye out for that, okay? (You know, the reason why he was pretty much vanished for two whole years?) Also, it will reveal why he suddenly has powers. Sorry for that little spoiler!**_

 _ **DISCLAIMERS!**_

 _ **The Author does not own SWCW (if she did, lots of things would be different!) All this author owns are the plot, OCs, and AU!**_

"Normal Speech" _ **,**_ ' _Thoughts'_ _ **,**_ " **Embo's Language** " _ **,**_ _:comm messaging:_ _ **,**_ _~written text~_

* * *

" _The magic, the wonder, the mystery_

 _And the innocence of a child's heart_

 _Are the seeds of creativity that will_

 _Heal the world."_

 _~Michael Jackson_

* * *

When Fives and Echo entered the _Guillotine_ , what they didn't expect was for a rubber ball to hit one of them in the face.

And yet, Fives found himself lying on the floor with a bloody nose, a blue and red ball bouncing innocently away from him.

"I sowwy!" a little voice cried out, as the ball stopped mid-air, and floated away. Echo watched it go, and stared when the ball settled into the tiny hands of a Duros girl. She couldn't have been older than three years old. "I no mean to! Him have ouchies?"

"Er…" Echo said, glancing at Fives, who was starting to get up, one hand over his bleeding nose. "I think he'll be fine…"

"Echo! Fives! What's the holdup here?!" The two troopers turned towards the voice, eyes wide.

"Commander Cody, sir!" they saluted, and Cody raised an eyebrow at Fives' bloody nose.

"What happened?"

"Fives' face got acquainted with a flying projectile, Commander," Echo said, glancing at the little girl. Cody smiled.

"Well, hello, little one," he said, kneeling down. The little girl looked ready to cry, probably due to accidentally giving Fives a bloody nose. "What's your name?"

"Miia," Cody smiled at this, nodding.

"That's a very pretty name, Miia. Where are your parents?"

"Mommy an' Daddy ask Mastew Embo take me an' fwends to big pwetty Tempew!" Miia said enthusiastically, her anxiety forgotten.

"Really?" Cody asked, still smiling. Echo and Fives were completely creeped out at this point, seeing the stoic Commander like that. "How many others?"

"Dis many!" she said, proudly holding up four tiny fingers. Cody chuckled.

"Well, Mater Embo is on another ship right now, but he asked us to help you finish your trip," the Commander said. ' _Not a total lie… the fleet's bound for Coruscant anyway…'_ Shaking himself out of his thoughts, the Commander asked, "Where is the control room?"

* * *

"Cody, what's your status?" Obi-Wan asked, leaning over the comm pad. The hologram of Cody was sitting down.

 _:We've got a bit of a situation here, General. Fives got clocked in the nose by one of the five younglings on this ship; apparently Embo was trying to get them to the Temple."_

"Really?" Obi-Wan asked in surprise," Younglings? Precious cargo, indeed…"

 _:We're about to get this bird in the air; the four older younglings are practicing something Embo was teaching them. Should I expect you or General Skywalker?:_

"Yes, I'll come over to meet the younglings. See you soon."

 _:Copy that.:_

* * *

When Obi-Wan came out of his fighter in the hangar of the _Guillotine_ , Echo was there to meet him.

"General Kenobi, sir!" the trooper saluted, but the effect was ruined by the little Duros girl clinging to his right leg. Obi-Wan chuckled.

"At ease. I take it this is one of the younglings?" the Jedi asked, and Echo nodded.

"Yes sir; the youngest, Miia. She's the one who clocked Fives in the nose." Obi-Wan chuckled again, and knelt down to come closer to eye level with the girl.

"Hello, Miia," the Jedi said kindly, "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi; I'm a Jedi from the Temple."

"Mastew Embo tell 'bout you," the Duros girl said, an expression of awe on her cute little face, "You hewp pwotect fawmews on Fewushwa!"

"That's right, little one. I did help Embo protect those farmers," Obi-Wan said, smiling. He liked this youngling already. "So, are you looking forward to seeing the Jedi Temple?"

"Yah!" the little girl cheered, finally letting go of Echo's leg. "Daddy say it weawwy big! He go in once… say dewe big wibwawy!"

Obi-Wan's blood ran cold. ' _Surely, her father isn't who I think he is! Surely not!'_

"Who is your father, Miia?" The little girl just beamed happily at him, grabbing his hand and tugging on it.

"Fowwow me! I has pi'tuwes!"

* * *

When Miia led Kenobi into her bedroom, the Jedi Master looked around in trepidation. However, the room had nothing too dangerous in it (unless one counted the rubber ball sitting next to the bed), and there were no shadows for Bounty Hunters to hide in.

Miia let go of his hand, running over to the small table next to her bed, leaving Obi-Wan free to look around. One of the first things to catch his eye was a wood carving of some kind of bird on a shelf nearby, next to a very detailed model of a _very_ familiar ship. Using the Force, the Jedi levitated the two objects to him, letting them slowly rotate in front of him to study them.

"Daddy make dem fow me," Miia suddenly said, coming over with a framed photo in her tiny hands. Obi-Wan had to grab the wood bird and model ship before they hit the floor, having been so startled he lost concentration.

"Well, he did a very good job on them," he said, placing them back where he found them. Then, he sat on the floor. "You wanted to show me something?"

"Pi'tuwe! Wook!" Miia sat on Kenobi's lap, showing him the photo.

Just as he had feared; the Duros man in the photo was none other than notorious Bounty Hunter Cad Bane. However, he was holding little Miia on his lap, leaning against some kind of tree in a field of colorful flowers, and he looked… _happy_. His expression held undeniable love and affection for the little girl in his arms… even as said little girl was in the process of levitating flowers onto his hat.

"This is a very nice picture, little one," Obi-Wan said, surprised to find himself smiling at the photo. "Your Daddy obviously loves you a lot."

"Uh-huh!" Miia chirped, bouncing a little on the Jedi's lap. "Daddy say he aways tink of me when he wowking! He bwing me wots of pwesents!"

"What kind of presents?" Kenobi asked, genuinely curious. In response, Miia held her hands out towards her bed, and a box came flying out from under it! Obi-Wan caught the box, and then stared at the contents.

The collection of small items ranged from small gemstones and colorful pebbles, to toys and carvings, and to photos and scraps of animal hide. There were even a couple of tiny etched animal bones in there. Reaching in, Obi-Wan pulled out a photo of Bane standing in the wilds of Felucia, a gentle smile on his lips, and a stone carving in his hand. Looking back in the box, he found that same carving: a detailed likeness of a rancor.

' _Okay… who knew that Bane could play the role of a doting and dedicated father? Certainly not me…'_

* * *

 _ **And that's it! Next chapter will be out as soon as I get it typed up, so keep an eye out! Also, who all liked little Miia Bane? She's just the cutest thing I could ever imagine! I'd really like to be able to draw the photo of her with her father, but I just can't get it right!**_

 _ **I'm sorry, I just realized that I didn't get into much detail with the other four children, but I will sometime! Until then, PLEASE give me reviews! I want to know what you guys think of this storyline!**_


	3. Arrival and Revelations!

_**Chapter 3, here we go! I'm on a roll here! Just as an FYI, we're having a time-jump to the arrival in Coruscant, and Embo's awake now! Marrok comes into the picture, and we meet the other four younglings! We also get to see the Council… not as fun as kids, but still cool! We're also going to hear about Embo's problems…**_

 _ **Hope you guys aren't mad at me for all these spoilers!**_

 _ **DISCLAIMERS!**_

 _ **The Author does not own SWCW, only the plot, OCs, etc!**_

"Normal Speech", ' _Thoughts'_ , _:comm messaging:_ , " **Embo's Language** ", _~Written Text~_

* * *

" _The wisest words come out of the most damaged mouths."_

 _~Matt Baker_

" _Extraordinary people survive_

 _Under the most terrible circumstances_

 _And they become even more extraordinary_

 _Because of it."_

 _~Robertson Davies_

" _It is never too late to be who you might have been."_

 _~George Elliot_

* * *

When the fleet finally returned to Coruscant, Obi-Wan was glad to see Ahsoka assisting Embo down the loading ramp of the _Resolute_. The five children had been missing the Kyuzo, as had Embo's pet anooba, Marrok.

"Embo, it's good to see you feeling better," the Jedi Master said, smiling. The Kyuzo nodded wearily.

" **I hope the younglings weren't too troublesome for you…** " he said, but Obi-Wan just chuckled.

"They're well behaved, but they missed you. The only problem was when little Miia clocked Fives in the nose with her rubber ball on accident." As Kenobi was talking, the three clones came out of the _Guillotine,_ carrying boxes containing the younglings' personal belongings.

Behind them, the five younglings followed happily, Miia riding on Marrok's back. The four older younglings each looked to be about five years old; three girls and a boy. One of the girls looked like a Korun human: dark skin, black hair, and amber eyes. The second girl was an aquatic Nautolan; green-skinned with dark red eyes, as well as a dazzling smile. The last two children looked Togrutan; rich orange skin with white markings on their faces and their royal blue lekku and montrals; however, their eyes were strangely jet black.

"Master Embo! You're here!" the little Nautolan girl cried, running over and hugging the Kyuzo around the knees, beaming up at him happily. Embo chuckled.

" **I'm happy to see you as well, Kitara,** " he said, obviously smiling behind his mask. Then, another voice distracted them all.

"Welcome back, Master Kenobi, Padawan Tano." It was Aayla Secura, the blue-skinned Twi-lek Jedi Knight. "I see you've brought some friends with you."

"Indeed. Five younglings, and one…" Obi-Wan paused, glancing at Embo, "undetermined."

"I… see," Aayla sad, thought she was obviously confused. "We should bring them before the Council, they're calling a meeting now."

"Lead the way."

* * *

Soon, the six newcomers (seven, counting Marrok) were standing before the Jedi Council, Ahsoka with them to help Embo stay on his feet. At the same time, the Kyuzo was sizing up all the Council members. Old habits die hard.

"Your name's Embo, Correct?" Mace Windu asked, frowning. The Kyuzo nodded.

" **That is correct.** "

"Why did you come here, _Bounty Hunter?_ " Embo winced slightly at the venomous tone, now uncertain.

" **I came to deliver these five younglings to the Jedi, Master Windu. And before you ask, no, I'm not getting paid for this.** " Mace looked surprised, but stayed silent. Then, Yoda spoke.

"Delivered younglings, you have. So why, still here, you are?" At this, Embo looked down, as if ashamed. Then, he looked straight into Yoda's eyes.

" **Do you remember, nearly thirty years ago, when the first Force-sensitive Kyuzo in recorded history was born?** "

"Remember this well, I do," Yoda said sadly. "Months later, lost, he was, to the Force. A tragedy, it was."

" **And traumatic for the child.** " Everyone was suddenly looking at Embo in confusion, as he elaborated. " **Imagine being a seven-month-old child, hearing the whispers of the Force since birth, but the whispers suddenly fall silent, leaving a cold, empty void behind.** "

"That's… _horrible_ ," Kit Firsto whispered, his usual grin replaced by an expression of horror. Embo nodded, his voice falling to a whisper.

" **I still have nightmares about it, all these years later…** " The Council stared at him. Then, Obi-Wan stood up, seeing how weary the Kyuzo looked.

"Embo, sit down, please. I can stand." Embo nodded gratefully, and Ahsoka helped him over to the chair. Then, once the Kyuzo was seated, Plo-Koon spoke.

"Embo, do you mean to say that the child was you?"

" **Yes, Master Plo-Koon. After the Force was stripped away from me, I grew up feeling like there was something missing… that I was destined for something more.** " Embo wrapped his arms around himself with a shudder, remembering the cold, empty feeling he once lived with. " **There were times, after I left Phatrong, that I thought I could hear the whispers again, usually when a Jedi or another Force-user was nearby. One of the times it was strongest was on… Felucia.** "

"You mean when we helped protect those farmers?" Anakin asked, surprised Embo nodded.

" **Yes. It was then, fighting alongside the three of you, that I felt I had discovered my true purpose… And then Hondo shot me with a tank.** "

"Well, guess he killed the moment," Ahsoka said, earning chuckles from some of the others.

" **Yes, well…** " Embo hesitated, feeling uncertain, " **A few months later, I was about to return to Tattooine after a bounty, when my hyperdrive malfunctioned, sending me deep into uncharted space. By the time I managed to shut it down, my ship's systems had started shorting out, and I was on a collision course with one of two planets orbiting each other. When I crashed… I lost consciousness for a time.** "

"What happened next?" Ahsoka asked, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the Kyuzo, the younglings clustered around her. Even the adult Jedi were enthralled by the tale.

" **When I awoke, I was lying in a spring of glowing water, surrounded by tiny glowing beings with gossamer wings. They were no taller than twelve inches, save for their queen, who was three feet tall,** " Embo found himself relaxing now, the words coming more easily, as a great weight was being lifted from him. " **They called themselves Forcelings, physical manifestations of the Force itself. The Forcelings had pulled me from the wreckage of my ship, and put me in what they called the 'Healing Springs,' which mended my wounds.**

" **After I was allowed out of the spring, they took me to a circular clearing in their glowing forest, where a crystal structure resembling a… well, for lack of a better term, a baby basket, grew in the very center. The Forcelings told me that I was to sleep in it… the moment I laid down on the cushions in the bowl of the structure, the cold void in me was filled with warmth and the whispers of the Force. And I was filled with such joy, like a part of me had been set free.** "

"I suppose, in a way, that was exactly what happened," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully, absorbing the information. "If, as you say, you could just barely sense the Force again when near a Force-user, then I think that the Force wasn't _stripped_ from you… it was locked away, suppressed, but when you were near a Force-user, they acted as a focal point, and their powers temporarily loosened the bindings just enough for you to just barely sense the Force again."

"An interesting theory, Kenobi," Mace said, resting a hand on his chin as he mulled over the idea. Then, he turned his attention back to the Kyuzo. "Embo, could you describe the times when you could get a stronger sense of the Force?"

" **Of course, Master Windu,** " Embo said, wracking his memory, " **One time, as I've already told you, was on Felucia. Kenobi, Skywalker, and Padawan Tano were there. Each of them are powerful in the Force. Another time, I was in Jabba's Palace… I guess one of the cloaked people was a Jedi. The third time, I was about twenty, and I found an orphaned Zabrak boy who was quite strong with the Force, and I brought him to the Temple.** "

"Hmm…" Mace looked contemplative, as he said, "it seems like the 'bind' on you loosened when around powerful or numerous Force signatures, which makes sense. If you would allow us, could we have a few of the Order work with you, so we can try to figure out how this happened? I want to be able to prevent it from ever happening again."

Embo looked uncertain. The Jedi couldn't blame him; his past was a horrific one, and he wasn't comfortable with showing weakness to people he didn't know. Then, he nodded slowly.

" **I… I'll do it. I don't want it to happen again. Once was bad enough…** "

"I understand… There is an unoccupied set of living quarters next to Master Fisto's; you can stay there." Mace truly felt sorry for the Kyuzo, and berated himself for his earlier harshness. "We need you close, so we can help you when needed."

" **Thank you…** "

* * *

 _ **And that's a wrap! Third chapter is finished! Next up: the Jedi Council finds out just how deeply affected Embo is by is traumatizing experience as a very small child, and need to figure out how to help him! STAY TUNED! R &R, please!**_


	4. Calling Reinforcements!

_**Ok, everyone, time for the next chapter! We're going to have a bit of tears in this one, so be prepared! As I said last chap, we're diving in deeper to how badly Embo was affected by his childhood experiences, so without further ado…**_

 _ **DISCLAIMERS!**_

 _ **The author does not own Star Wars yadda yadda yadda… only the OCs and the plot blah blah blah…**_

" _ **LET'S GET ON WITH IT! YOU'VE HEARD THIS MANY TIMES BY NOW!"**_

 _ **Sheesh, Bane, calm down...**_

* * *

" _When you find yourself alone and hurting,_

 _Nearly total strangers will offer their advice_

 _And help and encouragement."_

 _~ Jill Charlotte Stanford_

" _Time doesn't heal emotional pain,_

 _You need to learn to let go."_

 _~ Roy T. Bennett_

* * *

Embo tossed and turned in his sleep, whimpers escaping him. The whimpers escalated into soft sounds of distress, and then grew louder, and louder, until they became cries of terror!

In the quarters next to Embo's, Kit Fisto woke with a start, hearing the Kyuzo's distress. In a flash, the Nautolan was out of bed, and went to Embo's quarters, hurrying to the Kyuzo's side when he saw the state he was in.

The Kyuzo's emotional upheaval was causing random objects to fly violently through the air, and he had, by this time, curled up in a tight ball, quaking with fear as he slept.

"Embo… Embo! Wake up!" Kit urged, putting a hand on Embo's shoulder, gently shaking him. "Embo, you're in the Jedi Temple! You're safe!"

Suddenly, the Kyuzo woke up with a loud gasp, jerking violently! His golden yellow eyes were wide open, glowing, as he stared at nothing while breathing rapidly. By this time, Mace Windu and Plo-Koon had come into the room, after being woken up by Embo's fearful cries.

Kit, not wanting to see Embo looking so lost and afraid, sat down next to the bed, and took the Kyuzo into his arms, holding the quaking Bounty Hunter to hs chest, and rubbing soothing circles into his back. The effect was immediate.

At first, Embo struggled in the Nautolan's grip, but gave up a minute later with a keening wail of fear, curling into the comforting embrace and burying his face in Kit's shoulder as hoarse, desperate sobs tore themselves from him, causing his already-shaking form to tremble even more violently. Kit could feel his shoulder growing wet with the Kyuzo's tears, and did his best to comfort him.

"Shh… it's alright… you're safe… you're going to be ok…" Kit was shocked to find tears forming in his own eyes, as the Kyuzo clung to him, desperate for the comfort he had denied himself for so long. "I've got you… I'm here for you… you're going to be ok… we're going to help you…"

Slowly, Embo stopped shaking, his sobs quieting to soft whimpers, and the flying objects went back to their proper places. Then, after a few more minutes, the Kyuzo fell asleep, going limp in the Nautolan's arms. It was only then that the other two Jedi Masters dared to get closer.

"When he said he experienced nightmares… I hadn't thought it was like… that," Mace said, his voice a barely-audible whisper. Plo just nodded, too shocked to speak.

The situation was more serious than they imagined.

They needed help.

* * *

An emergency Council meeting was called together first thing in the morning, many of the members still half-asleep with mugs of hot caf to wake themselves up. Once everyone was semi-awake, Kit started off the meeting.

"I know that at least some of you were awakened by a disturbance last night, which is the reason I have called us together at this early hour…" Master Fisto took in a deep breath, the memories of last night still fresh in his mind. "It was Embo. When I went into his quarters to check on him, he was having a nightmare… the one he told us about."

The others were all wide awake now, as Kit went on to describe the whole ordeal. When he finally finished, he let his head fall into his hands.

"The worst part is, he still doesn't fully trust us yet… and it will most likely be a challenge to earn his trust." He then looked over at Obi-Wan. "You've encountered him before… do you know anyone he might be closer to?"

"Yes… there are a few other Bounty Hunters he is friends with…" Obi-Wan said slowly, stroking his beard in contemplation. "Unfortunately, we aren't exactly on good terms with most of them. Cad Bane, for instance."

"Which ones _are_ we on good terms with?" Mace asked, and Kenobi looked over.

"Well, there's the Iridonian woman, Sugi. She helped save Ahsoka and those younglings; from how they interacted on Felucia, she and Embo are quite close," Obi-Wan said, remembering how Sugi had acted directly after Hondo had shot at Embo with a tank. "I believe she's still close to him… I've kept in contact with her, after he vanished."

"Bring her up on the comm., please. She's our best bet at helping Embo," Mace requested, and Kenobi went over to where a holo-comm. Platform was rising in the center of the room. Once he had put in the number, there was a tense wait, before a hologram of the Zabrak woman materialized.

 _:General Kenobi, this is a surprise:_

she said, her voice warmly accented. _:What can I do for the Jedi Council? Younglings need rescue again?:_

"No, it's something much more complicated, ma'am," Mace said, bringing Sugi's attention upon himself. "To be frank, you friend Embo is here at the Temple, and we need you to help us help him."

 _:What?!:_ Sugi exclaimed, eyes wide. _:What happened to him?!:_

"We'll explain more once you arrive," Windu said, noting her determination, "For now, let's just say he needs someone he trusts…"

* * *

 _ **Whoa! That was shorter than I thought it would be when I wrote it on paper! Well, next chapter, Sugi arrives at the Jedi Temple! What will she find? And how is Embo doing, after his rough night? STAY TUNED!**_


	5. The Prophecy!

_**We're back, everyone! I hope you all have been liking this storyline so far (I've already got pretty much all chapters written down on paper so far… about 13 or so, but I might add an epilogue, and I have plans for a sequel once I get this finished! That means I won't be changing this for suggestions, sorry!), and we're about to go into another chapter!**_

 _ **Sugi will be entering here officially, now, and we'll be seeing a LOT more of her! Also, there is more development about Embo's situation, and why the heck all of this is happening to him!**_

 _ **And, Dear Readers, I have a question for you all. Would you all like me to make a prequel to this series? You know, all of the events that Embo went through to get to this point? Or would you just like it to remain a mystery? Please review and let me know! If you all prod me enough, I'll see about getting my rear into gear and writing down the events that happened before all this!**_

 _ **Another question: would you all like me to do little offshoots that tie in with this series to explain all of the other characters I've created and included in this? Also, would you like me to explain about certain planets that I've created for this series? SPOILER ALERT: One of the planets is a terraformed, wild re-creation of Earth, where there's a Bounty Hunter Colony (where the five Younglings that were with Embo came from), so if you all would like me to write a fic about stuff happening there, let me know!**_

 _ **DISCLAIMERS!**_

 _ **I think you all know the drill by now… I don't own Star Wars, yadda yadda yadda… MOVING ON!**_

* * *

" _I Am Wolf._

 _Quietly I will endure._

 _Silently I will suffer._

 _Patiently I will wait._

 _For I am a Warrior._

 _And I will Survive."_

 _~ In the shadow of the wolf_

* * *

Sugi arrived three days after the Council asked for her help, and the Jedi that greeted her was glad to see her.

"Sugi! It's great to see you again!" Ahsoka said happily, hugging the Zabrak. Sugi smiled.

"Good to see you as well, Padawan Tano," she said, hugging her back. Then, they separated. "Where are the Council Members?"

"They had to start an emergency session; trouble with figuring out where someone went… so they sent me to be your welcoming committee." The padawan then turned, gesturing for Sugi to follow. "Come on, I'll take you to them."

* * *

Sugi was anxious for the entire trek to the Council Chambers; not even the grandeur of the temple was enough to fully take her mind off of the reason she was there in the first place. However, when a group of younglings ran past, giggling, she couldn't help smiling. ' _Ah, the joy of one's childhood…'_

Soon after, they came to a guarded set of double-doors, and, once Ahsoka talked to the guards, they were let in.

"Masters," the Padawan said, bowing, "may I present Bounty Hunter Sugi."

"Ah, Sugi, so good to have you here," Obi-Wan said, smiling. "I apologize for the lack of details in our message, but we could not risk the information getting in the hands of the Separatists if they intercepted the transmission."

"Apology accepted," Sugi stated, hands on hips. "Now, what's going on? What happened to Embo?!"

Mace sighed, levitating a small sphere over to the Iridonian. "First, we need you to see this. Just hold it in your hand, and you will hear."

The orb hovered in front of Sugi, who eyed it warily. The object was a pale silver color, with thin, glowing blue lines tracing delicate patterns over it, and about two inches in diameter. Then, the Zabrak hesitantly grasped it in her left hand, and her eyes widened as ageless voices started whispering in her head!

' _Years before the galaxy is torn,_

 _A Force-child of Phatrong is born,_

 _With silent voice guiding him through,_

 _Keeping faith strong and his heart true._

' _Then in the night, a severed bond,_

 _Taken by darkness, a delicate frond,_

 _For this Force-child of Phatrong,_

 _Was lost to us when night was long._

' _The war will bring him to the stars,_

 _Seeking what was lost to his heart,_

 _He searches for where he belongs,_

 _Our Lost Force-child of Phatrong._

' _Although war is terrible still,_

 _It also brings a bit of goodwill,_

 _For when in flames he hits the ground,_

 _He was Lost but Has Been Found!_

' _Though the war was decades long,_

 _He has managed to stay strong,_

 _And discovered where he belongs,_

 _Our Returned Force-Child of Phatrong!'_

Sugi nearly dropped the sphere, as the whispers suddenly stopped, and she staggered. Mace used the Force to retrieve the orb, while Ahsoka steadied the Bounty Hunter.

"Easy… I know this must be a lot to take in," Windu said, pocketing the object. Sugi looked straight at him.

"Wh-what _was_ that?!"

"That was a prophecy, recorded over a century ago, and recently fulfilled," Obi-Wan stated, as the Iridonian turned her attention towards him. "It's also why we need your help… From what I've seen, Embo trusts you implicitly and nearly without restraint; far more than what could be said for anyone in the Order. He'll be more willing to open up to you than to any of us."

"But… what does he need help with?" Sugi asked, although she had a sneaking suspicion…

"Embo," Kit started, choosing his words carefully, " has been… experiencing… difficulties. Although he is willing to let us help, he does not trust us enough to open up to us."

"Embo has always been more…" Sugi trailed off, searching for the right word, "guarded… than most other Hunters. However, I know for certain that he has a great capacity for love, and cares deeply for those he works with, and for his family."

"Really?" Obi-Wan asked, glancing at the other members of the Council. They were all thinking about the 'no attachments' rule. "Well, if he's able to trust you that much, then you might be the only one who can get him to open up further…"

"Miss Sugi," Master Fisto started, "has Embo ever mentioned anything about a recurring nightmare to you?"

Sugi looked surprised. "Yes, he's mentioned it a few times, but never goes into much detail, like it's painful just thinking about it…"

Everything suddenly made sense, the pieces falling into place for the Zabrak. The prophecy, Embo's disappearance, everything the Jedi were hinting at, the nightmares… it all made sense!

And it was a horrifying thing to think about.

"By the Force… how could this have happened?" Sugi whispered, tears pricking at the corners of her brown eyes, "Embo… poor Embo, I was so _blind…_ "

"He's currently in his quarters, if you'd like to see him…"

* * *

 _ **And that's it! Let me know what you think, and please answer the questions I asked above! Next up: Sugi talks to Embo, and we learn what he's been up to lately!**_

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	6. Come Out of Shadows!

_**And… I'm back! Here, in Chapter 6, Sugi and Embo are reunited and the healing process finally begins for our poor Kyuzo friend!**_

 _ **You've all heard the routine by now.**_

 _ **ON WITH THE STORY!**_

* * *

" _One of the most important things you can do on this earth_

 _Is to let people know they're not alone."_

 _~ Shannon L. Alder_

" _People cry, not because they're weak,_

 _It's because they've been strong for too long."_

 _~ Johnny Depp_

* * *

Embo sat on his bed, turning a small wooden carving in his hands. It was made of pale birch, carved and polished by hand, made into the shape of a humanoid figure with large, feathered wings. If one looked closely enough, they could see the delicate wooden hands were cradling a heart that was nicked and scratched. The figure was sitting down, one leg lying on the ground and the other drawn up towards her chest, her wings encircling her.

Suddenly, he was startled by a chime at his door, but recovered quickly, saying, " **Come in, it's open.** "

To his astonishment, it was Sugi who entered. She looked even more beautiful than he remembered.

Here mere presence was like a soothing balm to his tormented soul, making him feel strong again.

" **Sugi…** " Embo whispered, trying to banish the tears that threatened to fall. As he set down the wood carving, his longtime partner came over, and she wrapped her arms around him. That one action made the tears too hard to hold back, and he buried his face in her shoulder, his own arms wrapping around her middle as he started sobbing quietly. He had carried the pain around for far too long… and only Sugi could put his broken pieces together again.

"It's alright, Embo…" she said soothingly, one hand rubbing circles into his back while the other stroked the back of his head, "It's ok… I'm here now… you don't have to be alone…"

The Kyuzo clung to the Zabrak, still quietly sobbing into her shoulder, as she comforted him. He had lived in shadows for far too long.

Now, Sugi would help him come into the light.

* * *

Once Embo had finally calmed down, he showed Sugi around the Temple. He was especially happy to show her the gardens, in which one of the Jedi tending them had given him a small section to tend to himself. He was still waiting for the plants and materials to arrive.

In the meantime, however, he decided to work on the small pond he wanted.

" **I'm wanting to make this a special place for meditation, so I made a call to some friends in a colony to bring me some plants, stones, wood, paints, fish, and a few other things, to get it all set up,** " Embo explained, shoveling some more soil out of the hole. Sugi was watching with amusement, sitting on the ground a short distance away.

"I'm sure it will be beautiful, Embo," she said, watching him step out of the foot-deep hole. Now that she knew just how hard he had been trying to put himself back together again, she could fully appreciate seeing him so excited about something. She knew that he needed her now, more than ever before… and that was ok.

As she thought back to when she first met the Kyuzo, she remembered just how much she had looked up to him, seeing him as an incredibly strong man who always came out on top, no matter what.

' _I never realized just how strong he really is…_ ' she mused, watching Embo work. Never before had she known a man who could repeatedly witness the most traumatic part of his life nearly every night, and still continue to give so much of himself to those around him.

It just made her love him that much more.

Soon, Embo had finished with his work, and came over to Sugi, drawing her out of her thoughts.

" **I'm ready to go back inside, Sugi… thanks for putting up with all this…** " he said uncertainty, and Sugi shook her head.

"Embo… seeing you happy makes _me_ happy too. That's not 'putting up' with it. I was happy to see you enjoying yourself.

She stood then, gently taking his hand into her own, as Embo looked at her in shock. He felt warmth curling into his wounded heart, as the Force whispered to him that this was _right_ , that he needed _her_ and _her alone_ to help him learn to open up to the Jedi who wanted to help him.

Then, Sugi took a step forward, towards the Temple, gently pulling him along. He obediently followed, deciding right then and there that Sugi now held his heart, scarred and broken though it may be, in her hands.

Now, he could sense that she was determined to put him back together again.

* * *

 _ **Wow… I went deep with that one. Maybe I've been reading too many quotes… nah. Well, I guess you all have been wondering "When will we see the younglings again?!"**_

 _ **Never fear: we get to see little Miia in the next chapter, guys! We also get to see my guest-star Ki-Adi Mundi, so stay tuned, everyone!**_

 _ **RR!**_


	7. Calling Cad

_**Alright, dear Readers, we're back for another chapter! As promised, cute little Mia makes an appearance in this chapter, as does Master Mundi! There's a lot of fluff, a bit of Earth-style gardening, and a few tears!**_

 _ **Btw, this is a few days after the last chapter.**_

 _ **You all know the drill by now. ON WITH THE STORY!**_

* * *

" _The magic, the wonder, the mystery_

 _And the innocence of a child's heart_

 _Are the seeds of creativity that will_

 _Heal the world."_

 _~ Michael Jackson_

* * *

"Mastew Embo!"

The Kyuzo looked up from his half-finished wood carving, and saw little Miia running over to him, her little legs moving as fast as they could to reach him.

" **Miia, good to see you!** " Embo said happily, setting down his knife and carving, before scooping up the little Duros girl and spinning around with her! The two-year-old squealed and giggled with glee, before wrapping her little arms around his neck when he hugged her. " **Have you been doing well in your classes?** "

"Uh-huh!" Miia said happily, grinning. "We weawn wots o' stuffs! Bu' I miss wou! Why you no teach?"

" **I've been very busy, Miia,** " the Kyuzo said, sitting back down on the garden bench swing. He had gotten everything he had ordered from the extremely remote colony Miia and the other four youngling had been raised in, and had everything set up nicely.

The pond he dug was shaped like a stylized heart, the point curling around to meet with an artificial waterfall, next to the small, octogonal gazebo made of cedar and a two-tier roof of blue-black shingles. A stone path went from the gazebo steps and along the edge of the pond to a point where fife trees (an apple, two peach and two maple) stood in a semi-circle. On either side of the apple tree, beautifully-crafted cedar swing benches hung from their frames, navy blue pillows nestled in them. Between the two peach and male trees (one of each on either side of the semi-circle) were cedar-red rope hammock chairs, also lined with navy blue pillows. The pond itself was occupied by blooming water lilies and colorful butterfly koi fish; and all throughout the garden grew roses, candy daylilies, zinnias, jasmines, and lilacs; as well as strawberries, golden raspberries, elderberries, cloudberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Thanks to a little urging through the Force, everything was large, in bloom, and laden with fruit.

The bench he was sitting on was to the right of the apple tree, and he used his legs to make it swing back and forth. Then, Miia looked up at him.

"Mastew Embo, when Daddy come?" The Kyuzo glanced towards the Temple, and then looked back at the little Duros girl.

" **Miia… remember when your Daddy told you about seeing the Temple, and why he was there?** " Embo asked, and the two-year-old nodded. " **Well, the Jedi Council still doesn't trust him, so it may be a long while before he can come.** "

Miia's eyes teared up at this. "Daddy no come? Bu' I wan' my Daddy!"

" **Miia…** " Embo said softly, hugging the crying child, " **It's not that he doesn't** **want** **to come; he just** **can't** …" Then, he had an idea. " **Tell you what; come to my quarters after dinner, and we can talk to your Daddy on the holocomm, ok?** "

"'Kay…" Miia sniffed, rubbing her eyes. Then, she looked at Embo. "Bu' what if tey don' bewieve me?"

" **I'll give you a note,** " the Kyuzo said simply, pulling a holopad out of his satchel (a present from Tanoka, the colony leader), and typing a quick note. Then, he handed it to the youngling. " **Give that to your instructor, they'll make sure you get there…** "

* * *

That night, while Embo and Sugi were putting away some holopads they had been reading, there was a chime at the door, and Embo knew immediately who it was.

" **I'll get it, Sugi,** " the Kyuzo said, handing the holopad he was holding to the Zabrak. When he opened the door, Jedi Master Ki-Adi Mundi stood outside, little Miia in his arms. Embo couldn't help smiling behind his mask, as he said, " **Master Mundi, I thank you for bringing Miia here. If it wouldn't be too troublesome, could you come back in half an hour to take her to her quarters?** "

"It would be no trouble at all, Embo," Ki-Adi said, handing Miia over to the taller man. Embo nodded gratefully, and Master Mundi left.

"Mastew Embo, we tawk Daddy now?" Miia chirped, while the Kyuzo carried her to a small sitting room. Sugi was already there, finishing setting up a holocomm on the low table.

" **Yes, we can talk to your Daddy now,** " he said, sitting down on the couch and placing Miia on his lap. " **Sugi, could you bring Cad up?** "

"Of course, Embo," the Iridonian said, turning the holocomm on and putting in a code. After a few seconds, a blue hologram of the well-known Duros man popped up.

 _:Embo! I was wondering if you all had made it to the Temple in one piece! I_ _told_ _you to contact me when you arrived:_ Bane ranted, obviously having been worried sick about them. Embo winced.

" **Sorry; a lot of stuff came up, and I forgot,** " the Kyuzo admitted, right hand unconsciously starting to rub at the bandages on his left side. Sugi noticed, however, and gently pried the hand away, drawing Banes attention to the bandages. The Duros was instantly concerned.

 _:Hey, Embo, you ok? What happened?:_ Embo sighed, knowing that there were too many bandages for the 'it's nothing' excuse. So, he launched into the explanation of what happened when he had taken a slight detour to Ryloth because of some urging from the Force. When he finished, Bane shook his head in exasperation. _:Only you, Embo…:_

"Daddy?" Finally, Cad saw his little girl on his best friend's lap, and he smiled fondly.

 _:Miia! My little adawehi, how are you?:_ he asked, using his favorite nickname for his daughter. The little girl giggled happily.

"I being good!" she exclaimed, but then looked down sadly. "Bu' I miss wou, Daddy… Mastew Embo say wou no come fo' whiwe…"

 _:Oh, I'm so sorry, adawehi, but I'm afraid he's right. The Jedi don't trust me, and i never really know how long I'll be busy…:_ Miia started to sniffle, but Cad quickly said, _:But I'll send you your presents from my trips, ok, adawehi? I still love you so, so much!:_

They talked for a bit longer until their half-hour was up, and then closed the connection just before the door chimed. Embo passed a now-sleepy Miia to Master Mundi, and then he and Sugi got ready for bed...

* * *

 _ **And that's it! Just as an FWI, I was at a loss for what a nice, sweet nickname for Miia would be that her dad calls her by, so after I remembered how the Duros names are often musical-sounding, I decided to see if I could find some similar types of words for the nickname. What I decided upon was "adawehi," which is the Cherokee word for "angel." Sweet, right?**_

 _ **Well, next episode, we finally see what happened to Embo all those years ago, but seeing it so much more clearly in his dreams is pretty rough on him…**_

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED!**_

 _ **R &R!**_


	8. The Nightmare Unleashed!

**_Ok, everyone, I'm back! Here's a little warning: in this chapter, there will be MAJOR angst and mental torment, so just expect that! Embo is remembering more than he wanted to… and it might just break him completely._**

 ** _You know the drill._**

* * *

 _"Remember, Everyone bears a hidden pain._

 _Everyone._

 _It may not show;_

 _It may be something you'd never guess in a million years._

 _But every person has a secret burden."_

 _~ Unknown_

 _"Time doesn't heal emotional pain,_

 _You need to learn how to let go."_

 _~ Roy T. Bennett_

 _"You are so brave and quiet_

 _I forget you are suffering."_

 _~ Ernest Hemingway_

* * *

Embo twitched in his sleep, whimpering quietly, as the terrible images flashed through his mind more vividly than ever before.

 _He was sitting in his crib, happily amusing himself by levitating his favorite toy ball above him. His older brothers were sleeping in the next room, and kind voices were whispering to him in his head. Suddenly, a dark, cloaked figure, just a few shades darker than the rest of the room, was looming over him…_

" **No…** " Embo whimpered, and items all around the room started rattling, as he started losing control of his power.

 _Little Embo looked up at the dark figure in fear, as a pale hand reached for him. He could just barely see the outlines of the figure's facial features, as they said something he didn't understand! Suddenly, the whispers in his head fell silent, as his toy ball fell out of the air and a cold, empty void trapped him! Terrified, he started screaming!_

Embo curled into himself, muffled screams of terror filling the room! On the other bed, Sugi woke with a start, and, seeing Embo curled up in the fetal position, hurried over to him.

"Embo?! Embo, wake up! Wake up, it's me, Sugi!" she said, gently shaking him with her left hand, taking hold of one of his hands with her right. "Embo…"

 _Embo's screams had roused his oldest brother, who came in with a knife in each hand!_

 _" **You! What are you doing to my baby brother?!** " Mavo shouted, charging at the cloaked figure, only to fall to the ground, writhing and screaming in agony, as bolts of lightning coming from the figure's hand struck him!_

The Kyuzo was crying now, choked sobs forcing their way out between muffled screams, sometimes sounding to Sugi like he was saying " **Mavo…** "

"Embo, come on, wake up!" the Zabrak urged, as objects flew violently through the room! There were multiple chimes at the door, but Sugi ignored them, trying to rouse Embo from his nightmare!

 _Little Embo wailed in terror, when his brother fell silent and still on the floor, and the dark figure fled when hurried footsteps came from all around the house, disappearing just when Embo's parents burst into the room!_

 _" **Mavo!** " his mother wailed falling to her knees beside her eldest son's still form, while her husband rushed over to Embo's crib!_

 _" **Embo! Oh, Embo, what did they do to you?** " he asked worriedly, picking up the wailing baby. His arms were strong and warm, but they couldn't dispel the cold void in the child's heart…_

Embo jolted awake with a keening wail of terror, his glowing gold eyes wide with fear and staring at nothing in particular. His breathing was fast and ragged, mixing with terrified sobs and fearful cries, not registering anything going on around him.

"Embo? Embo, it's ok…" Sugi said, slowly and carefully pulling the Kyuzo's quaking form into her arms. Embo let out a terrified keen, unconsciously curling into the embrace, as tears continued to stream down his face. Sugi gently started to rub calming circles into the Kyuzo's bare back (it had been too warm for him, so he had ignored the shirt he normally wore, going to bed in only a pair of pants), trying to bring him back to reality. "I've got you… you're safe…"

Embo was shaking like a leaf in a whirlwind, still sobbing from fear; but, little by little, Sugi was getting through to him. He subconsciously latched onto the sound of her voice, using it as an anchor to help him come out of his traumatizing memories. Finally, though he couldn't stop sobbing, his gaze managed to focus on the Iridonian's face.

" **S-S-Sug-gi…** " he managed to say, now clinging to her. She was his anchor in the storm of terror he was experiencing, and he didn't want her to leave.

Not that she wanted to, though.

"It's ok, Embo…" Sugi whispered, as the Kyuzo buried his face in her shoulder. Her free hand moved to the back of his head, thumb gently brushing along his green skin, and she tilted her head to rest her cheek on the top of his head. "It's ok… I'm here… I've got you…"

Embo couldn't even begin to stop crying; the dam had burst, and nothing could stop it. Nearly three decades of suppressed emotion came flooding through him with a vengeance, and he couldn't hold it back anymore.

And so, he did the only thing he could: cling to Sugi and let it all out.

The Zabrak wasn't about to let him go, keeping him in her comforting embrace and whispering soothing words to him, as he sobbed into the shoulder of her nightshirt. His hands held on to fistfuls of the loose-fitting fabric, as he curled further into her embrace. He was way past the point of having cried himself into exhaustion, but the tears and sobs kept coming, his chest heaving and his entire body shaking.

Sugi felt tears prick at the corners of her own eyes, seeing her Embo so lost and scared. She could feel him shaking in her arms, wordlessly begging for comfort. Comfort she was more than willing to give.

"Shh… you're ok… you're ok…" she whispered, softly kissing the top of his head before resting her cheek on it again, rocking back and forth with him. Then, she remembered a song her mother used to sing to her when she was a little girl, and she started to sing it to Embo. " _Hush, my heart, there's nothing to fear ; you're safe in my arms; I'm here. I'm like the cedar who tends to souls, and when you're lost, I'll bring you home…_ "

Embo was slowly starting to calm down, the song having the same effect on him as it had affected Sugi all those years ago. His sobs lessened, and he was able to take deep, shuddering breaths between them, as the song slowly pushed his terror away. After a while, his sobs stopped entirely, though he still trembled with fear in Sugi's embrace. The items that had flown around the room had, by this time, returned to their proper places.

"You good now, Embo?" Sugi whispered, and her words caused the Kyuzo to cling to her tighter.

" **D-don't g-go…** " he whispered back, and he felt her lightly kiss the top of his head again.

"Ok, Embo…" the Zabrak said, somehow managing to lay down next to Embo on the bed while still holding on to him. When she had gotten settled under the covers, the Kyuzo curled into her side like a scared child, clutching fistfuls of her nightshirt and laying his head on her shoulder. Sugi used that arm to hold hol, placing her hand on his left shoulder, silently letting him know that she would be there for him.

Eventually, they both fell asleep once more...

* * *

 _ **Whoa!!! That was intense! It pulled at my heartstrings, and I wrote this!!**_

 _ **Next chapter, we'll see how Embo is after this terrible experience, and how Sugi will help him! Also, a few new guest stars are coming in!**_

RR!!!

TO BE CONTINUED….


	9. Meetings in the Aftermath

_**Another day, another chapter! Here, we're going to see how Embo's doing after his rough night… and it's not pretty. Yeah, sorry for the spoiler, but you have been warned!**_

 _ **Also, a little update on my progress with the rest of this AU; I've already written a lot of chapters for the sequel in the same notebook I'm copying the chapters for this story from, so after I'm done with this story, I'll start posting the sequel!**_

 _ **Let me know if you guys want me to continue expanding this AU! I'm having a lot of fun with it!**_

 _ **You know the drill!**_

* * *

" _A best friend is the only one that walks into your life when the world has walked out."_

― _Shannon L. Alder_

" _When you really love someone,_

 _You see all their mess and their brokenness and you love them anyway._

 _In fact, seeing all of that sort of makes you love them more."  
_ ― _Heather Hepler_

* * *

When Sugi woke again, it was morning. Embo was still sleeping, still in the same position as he had been when he had finally calmed down enough to fall asleep again last night; curled against her left side in the fetal position, his head on her shoulder, and hands clutching fistfuls of her nightshirt in a death grip.

For a while, she simple watched the Kyuzo sleep, not wanting to move and risk waking him up. It was strangely relieving, seeing him able to sleep so peacefully after such a rough night.

Suddenly, there was a chime at the door, the small sound waking Embo up with a jerk and a whimper of fear! Sugi immediately started rubbing circles into his back with her left hand, reaching over to the bedside table with her right to press the button for the comm at the door.

"Who's there?" she asked, her accent thicker than usual.

 _:It's Ahsoka, Sugi. May I enter?:_ Sugi looked over at Embo, whose eyes were wide and fearful.

"Embo, you remember Ahsoka, right?" Seeing him nod a little, she asked, "Is it okay if she comes in?"

After a few seconds of hesitation, he slowly nodded. After giving Embo a reassuring hug, Sugi turned back to the comm.

"You can come in, just… keep your voice down," she sad, and the Padawan was soon walking into the bedroom.

"Is… is he ok?" Ahsoka asked, her voice a soft whisper, as she sat down on Sugi's unoccupied bed, not wanting to distress the Kyuzo further.

"He's… quite shaken," the Iridonian replied, still rubbing circles into Embo's back. "Last night was especially hard for him… I think he's had some kind of relapse."

"The Masters are worried… they tried to get in here to help, but couldn't," Ahsoka said softly, sadly watching the trembling Kyuzo. "Also, they told me that the Chancellor wants to come meet him…"

Suddenly, when the Chancellor had been mentioned, Embo keened in fear, shaking more violently! Sugi hugged him, glaring at the Padawan, who held up her hands as if to say 'I didn't know he'd react like that!'

"Embo's not in any way in a state to meet him!" the Zabrak whispered, still glaring, "Tell the Jedi Council that any and all politicians are to stay far away from him!"

"Would Senator Amidala be included in that?" the Padawan asked quietly, watching Embo. "She does everything she can to _help_ people like Embo."

When Sugi didn't see any increase in Embo's distress, she nodded. "Senator Amidala can come; just make sure she knows who not to mention."

"Okay, I'll go tell the Masters," Ahsoka whispered, getting up. Before leaving, she quietly said, "Embo, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Right before the door closed, she heard a quiet, " **It's ok…** "

Ahsoka smiled.

* * *

A few hours later, Padme Amidala walked through the Jedi Temple, escorted by Jedi Master Plo-Koon.

"So, Master Plo," the Senator began, "what should I expect from this meeting? What's Embo like?"

"It's currently hard to say," the Kel-Dor admitted, brow furrowed in concern. "Usually, I'd say to expect a calm, reserved front on a man with a kind heart only a few can rival… but last night, he had some sort of relapse."

"Relapse?" Padme asked worriedly, "Is he dangerous?"

"Not unless he is frightened badly enough," Master Plo assured. "From how Padawan Tano described his behavior, it sounds like a PTSD relapse."

"PTSD?"

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder," the Jedi clarified. "An old… acquaintance… of mine told me about it. And Embo's past certainly qualifies as 'Traumatic'."

"I see…" the Senator said, looking down as they walked. Then, she looked at her escort again. "Ahsoka told me not to mention the Chancellor in any way… why?"

"For reasons currently unknown, Embo reacts fearfully whenever the Chancellor is mentioned. That is why we denied the Chancellor's request to meet him." Then, they arrived at the door, and Plo-Koon pressed the chime button. Seconds later, the door opened. "Go on in; they're in the bedroom."

"Thank you, Master Jedi."

* * *

While Padme had tried to prepare herself, it obviously hadn't been enough.

The sight of the Kyuzo man curled up next to his Zabrak companion (who was now sitting up on the bed, but still in her sleepwear), his head and shoulders on her lap, and clutching fistfuls of her nightshirt… it was enough to bring tears to the Senator's eyes.

He just looked so _broken…_

"Senator Amidala," Sugi said respectfully, rubbing circles into Embo's back. The Senator smiled softly, a quiet chuckle escaping her.

"Please, call me Padme."

"Padme, then," Sugi said, then motioned to the other bed with her head, "please, sit down."

"Thank you," Padme said, keeping her voice quiet. As she sat down on the empty bed, she saw how the Kyuzo watched her every move with glowing gold compound eyes that were wide with fear. As if he thought she would do something to him. Trying to reassure him, she kindly said, "Hello, Embo."

Gold eyes blinked, a hint of curiosity mixing with the overwhelming fear. Then, a soft, tentative, deep-ish voice whispered, " **h-hi…** "

Padme silently cheered in her mind. ' _A good start… but let's not do too much at one time… what's a safe subject? Hmmm… well, we're both friends with Ani…_ '

"I understand you're friends with Anakin; is that true?" she asked, her tone light and curious. Hesitantly, the Kyuzo nodded, and Padme smiled. "I've been friends with him for a long time. He's quite the character, isn't he?"

After a brief silence, Embo whispered, " **He's c-crazy…** "

Chuckling softly, the Senator said, "well, sometimes that's a good thing." After a brief silence, Padme noticed a wood carving of a sleeping anooba, and said, "that's a beautiful carving."

The Kyuzo followed her gaze to the pale carving, and Padme was surprised to see something spark in those gold eyes, as he whispered, " **Marrok…** "

"Marrok?" she asked, glad to have found something he was interested in. "Is that it's name?"

Embo shook his head a little. " **P-pet… c-comp-panion…** "

' _Oh, so it's a likeness of his pet!_ ' Padme thought, then asked, "Could I meet him sometime? I am quite fond of animals."

" **O-ok…** " the Kyuzo whispered, then curled closer to Sugi, who finally spoke.

"You should go now, I think he's had enough for one day." Padme nodded, slowly standing.

"Thank you for your time, both of you. If it's alright… could I come back tomorrow?" the Senator asked, keeping her voice soft. "I have a few small sculptures you might like, Embo, and I'd like to show them to you."

Sugi looked down at Embo, who, though still very fearful, looked interested. So, she nodded. "That would be just fine, Padme, thank you."

"I wish you both well; see you tomorrow." And with this farewell, the Senator left.

* * *

"Padme, welcome back," Senator Bail Organa greeted, as Padme came into the small sitting room in the Senate Building. "How did the meeting with the Bounty Hunter go?"

"Rather well, considering the circumstances," she said, sitting down.

"What do you mean?" Organa asked, sitting down next to her. Padme sighed.

"Hearing about his current state of mind was one thing… actually _seeing_ him…" Padme shook her head. "Nothing could have prepared me for it."

"How bad was it?"

"To say the least… heartbreaking. He was curled up in a ball on his bed; his friend, Sugi, was with him, sitting up, with him partially on her lap." Padme was nearly in tears, as she described the scene as best she could. "He wouldn't let go of her nightshirt, watching my every move with an all-consuming fear in his eyes…"

Organa looked worried now, hearing about this. He's read Embo's record… and he was finding it impossible to relate those accounts with Padme's description. And she wasn't done.

"I tried to have a conversation with him, to get to know him, but he was too frightened to say more than one or two words to answer my questions… I could barely hear him, his voice was so quiet… he never tried asking me anything."

"But you're going to try to help him anyway?" Senator Organa asked, seeing the spark of determination in her eyes.

"Yes. When I left, I offered to visit again tomorrow, and bring some sculptures from my apartment. He was actually interested in that; I could see it through the fear in his eyes. Sugi agreed, so I am going back tomorrow." She paused, and looked Organa in the eye. "I'm sure I can get him to trust me enough to know I won't harm him. I just have to take it slow."

* * *

 _ **Wow… that was pretty… emotional. And yes, I had to look up Senator Organa's first name…**_

 _ **Anyway! In the next installment, we'll have skipped a few weeks! And… Embo must finally face the demon from his past. What will happen next?**_

 _ **R &R!**_

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	10. A Little Progress

_**Ok, next chapter, coming up! Here, it's going to get REALLY intense, after a relatively quiet start. Also, I'm still not getting any feedback from you guys, so I'm begging you, PLEASE tell me what you're thinking!**_

 _ **On another note, I've got a list of plotlines I'm adding to this AU, which I will need to sort into chronological order. I'll include the list here, so you guys can see if you have any ideas for me to add to it!**_

 _ **Embo introduces his friends to ice skating  
Embo's experiences on the Light planet  
Embo trapped on a desert planet, after his ship crashed, and needs rescue before it's too late  
Embo's life on Phatrong  
Embo first meets Sugi  
How Embo got Marrok  
Embo meets Cad Bane and works with him for a while  
Embo first discovers New Earth  
Embo is found extremely sick on Naboo  
Embo discovers a young long Zabrak boy and takes him across the galaxy to the Jedi Temple  
Embo goes to visit his family after the Republic base is built on New Earth  
Tanoka's time in the GAR  
Embo is captured and tortured for information by Count Dooku  
Cad Bane meets Sihmi for the first time, and how they fall in love  
Tanoka makes first contact with the Lupinions  
Urii and Leik's years as Bounty partners  
Tanoka helps broker a treaty between the Republic and Cybertron  
Embo's struggles starting out as a Bounty Hunter  
Embo is on Ryloth when the Separatists invade, and saves Master Di and Captain Keeli with a burst of temporary Force power  
Embo's year teaching the five younglings **_

_**So, now that you all have my list, tell me if there are any other loose ends I should elaborate on in other stories that go with this AU, and if you have any ideas about other things to add to my AU, please let me know!**_

 _ **You all know the drill by now.**_

 _ **Repeat myself, I shall not.**_

* * *

" _Fear cuts deeper than swords."  
_ ― _George R.R. Martin_

* * *

A few weeks after Padme's first visit (with her visiting almost every day since then), the Senator came back to the Temple once more, only to be told that Embo had ventured out into the gardens with Sugi.

"Could you take me there?" she asked Master Fisto, who had given her the news. He smiled at her, his grin bright as ever.

"Of course, Senator! Please, follow me!"

He led her through the Temple, and into the gardens. Padme looked around in awe, amazed by the beauty of it all. Then, they came to Embo's section of the gardens.

The Kyuzo was sitting on the path at the edge of the heart-shaped pond, Sugi beside him. He was tossing bread crumbs into the water, where lovely fish were eating them up. Then, he looked towards the two arrivals, and timidly waved a hand in greeting. Padme went over to them, while Master Fisto walked to a nearby garden section that had a larger pond in it.

"Hello Embo, Sugi," she said, sitting down next to the Kyuzo, who flinched slightly but didn't move away.

"Hello, Padme."

" **H-hi…** " Embo was still timid, but he was slowly getting better. The Senator was just glad he felt secure enough to venture out of his room.

"What kind of fish are these?" Padme asked, knowing by now that animals were one of the topics he liked best.

" **B-butterf-fly k-koi carp,** " the Kyuzo said, relaxing a little. " **Earth species…** "

"They're very pretty," the Senator said, watching the colorful fish swim around. To her surprise, Embo chuckled a little.

" **Th-they're friendly…** " he said, putting the fingers of his right hand in the water; the fish instantly swam over to him, playfully nibbling at his fingers. " **D-doesn't hurt… no b-biting teeth…** "

Padme smiled, putting her own fingers in the water, then laughed softly when a few small fish started nibbling at them. "They sure are playful."

" **I-I'm going to s-send some b-back t-to the golony I g-got them f-from,** " Embo said, still looking at the fish. " **D-don't w-want overcrowding…** "

"That's probably for the best," the Senator said, gazing at a pretty little black fish, only about three inches long, that had tiny gold speckles down its back, and all of its fins were golden yellow.

Embo saw her eyes following the little black and gold fish; it was one of the more eye-catching fish in the pond. It was also one that had hatched from one of the eggs he had discovered in his pond the day after he put the first few fish in.

" **D-do y-you want one?** " he asked, surprising the human. " **You c-can p-pick one t-to keep…** "

"Thank you, Embo," Padme said, before pointing out the fish she had been watching. Embo pulled a clear baggie out of a pouch on his belt, filled it with water, then used the Force to levitate the fish into the baggie. After tying the top shut, he handed it to the Senator.

" **I-I c-can g-get you a t-tank f-for it…** "

"That's very sweet of you to offer, but I have an empty tank in my apartment that will be perfect for it," Padme said, smiling.

Suddenly, Embo glanced past the Senator, and whimpered, recoiling as his eyees widened in terror! Padme turned, and gasped in shock.

Chancellor Palpatine was walking with an annoyed-looking Mace Windu.

Right.

For.

Them.

* * *

 _ **DUN-DUN-DUNNNN!**_

 _ **Well, this is an interesting development! What happens to Embo next? And why is he so afraid of Palpatine? Why is the Chancellor even there? Find out in the next chapter!**_

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED…**_

 _ **(P.S. Sorry this is so short!)**_


	11. No Longer Alone

_**Well, we're back, and it's time for the next chapter! I had to break this one down into two separate chapters, just as an FYI, so be prepared for a major cliffie! Embo is now having to try to deal with seeing the Chancellor… but why is he so scared of him?**_

 _ **You all know the drill. If you don't, then go back to the first three or four chapters to see the disclaimers.**_

* * *

" _You are not your past._

 _You are the warrior that rose above it to become the example of someone who didn't survive,_

 _but thrived in creating the most beautiful last chapter of their life."_

 _~Shannon L. Alder_

" _I'm not fighting for myself anymore... It makes a difference."_

 _~Christopher Paolini_

" _Don't let what you thought you were yesterday keep you from becoming what you're meant to be today."_

 _~Vironika Tugaleva_

* * *

"Embo, EMBO! Look at me, okay?" Sugi said, placing both hands on Embo's cheeks and making him look away from the Chancellor. The poor Kyuzo was having a panic attack; hyperventilating while his entire body shook with terror!

"Sugi, let's get him over to the gazebo," Padme suggested, pointing at the structure. Suddenly, Master Fisto was there as well, dripping wet and wearing only his swim trunks (his lightsaber was on his dive belt), helping Embo to his feet!

"Hurry; the sooner we get him calmed down, the better," the Nautolan urged, helping Sugi guide Embo to the gazebo, Padme following worriedly. Once Embo was on the bench, he instantly curled into himself, eyes wide and shaking like a leaf.

"Embo, Embo, what's wrong?!" Sugi asked frantically, trying to get the Kyuzo to respond. Kit Fisto knelt beside the bench, putting a hand on Embo's shoulder. Suddenly, the Kyuzo made eye contact with the Nautolan.

It was like Kit was falling into Embo's mind.

 _A cold, empty feeling… a shadowlike figure wearing a cloak… a pale hand… the outlines of a startlingly-familiar face… the death of a brother…_

With a gasp, Kit jerked back, breaking the connection! Then, he spun around, staring at the approaching Chancellor with sickening realization.

"Mace! Secure him, he's a Sith!"

Master Windu reacted instantly, grabbing Palpatine's wrists and holding them behind his back, while Fisto ran over.

"Master Fisto, are you certain?" Mace asked, once Kit came up beside him.

"Yes… Embo's memories… I saw him… he did this to him… killed his brother right in front of him." Kit's disjointed explanation was the best he could give, Embo's memories still fresh in his mind. Acting on a hunch, the Nautolan reached into the Chancellor's bulky sleeves… and pulled out two lightsabers. "All this time… How did we not realize?"

Embo watched what was going on from the relative safety of the gazebo, a growing dread curling into his heart. ' _No… they're going to get killed!_ '

Trying to force down his fear of the Chancellor, Embo fought with himself to get up; to face the demon from his past. It was hard, so hard… the tortured child in him screaming that he was defenseless against such a monster…

Wait…

Embo's eyes widened further. ' _No… I'm not defenseless. I'm not a child anymore. I've got the Force back… I am stronger now… and…_ ' his gaze flicked over to Sugi and Padme. ' _I'm not alone...If I don't stand up to him… Mavo won't be the only one who died trying to protect me!_ '

Faster than they could blink, Embo's entire demeanor transformed. Gone was the fear, replaced by fiery determination and courage. He got to his feet, standing tall, just as Palpatine broke free of Windu's grip!

The Sith snarled, turning on the two Masters and releasing a barrage of Force lightning on them.

Kit Fisto was still dripping wet from his swim.

Yeah… ouch.

Suddenly, Embo came flying in from behind!

Mr. Back, meet Mr. Foot.

Palpatine went sprawling on the ground, but then did a handspring to get back on his feet. Mace fell to his knees, but Kit was out cold. The Sith summoned his lightsabers, activating the blood red blades.

"You should have stayed down, _child_ ," he sneered, hoping to make Embo fearful again. However, the Kyuzo activated his own blue-green lightsaber, his voice strong and unwavering when he spoke.

" **I am not a child any longer; I will never just lay down and let you break me again,** " Embo took a deep breath, free hand moving to a sheathed knife at his side. " **You may have killed Mavo for trying to defend me… but** _ **I**_ **shall kill** _ **you**_ **. Not out of hate, nor vengeance, but out of my love for the lives I'll save in doing it.** "

With that, Embo lunged forward, soon caught in a deadly dance, aiming to destroy the monster that threatened everything he held dear. His already-impressive speed and strength were further enhanced by the Force and love flowing through him, soon putting the Sith on the defensive! He was winning!

* * *

 _ **Well, what happens next? Will Embo actually defeat Darth Sidious? Are the two Masters going to be ok? And what about Embo? And how will this affect him?**_

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	12. Destroying Fears!

_**Ok, we're back, and ready to get rolling! Here, we find out the result of the Embo/Sidious battle, and even meet a much larger group of my OCs! There's also a bit of drama, some violence, and people freaking out. And Duros coming out of nowhere to attack people.**_

 _ **You know the drill.**_

* * *

" _Great occasions do not make heroes or cowards;_

 _They simply unveil them to the eyes of men._

 _Silently and perceptibly, as we wake or sleep,_

 _We grow strong or weak;_

 _And last some crisis shows what we have become. "_

 _~ Brooke Foss Westcott_

" _And when hope returns to us,_

 _It will be with a passion and power to match every ounce of this crushing despair and pain,_

 _Every fiery shred of determination that carried us when hope failed_

 _It will claim us with a courage that will make the goddess herself quake and doubt herself."_

 _~Rachel L. Schade_

* * *

Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan ran out to the gardens, after getting a frantic call from Padme about the situation. Marrok, Embo's anooba, ran with them (Ahsoka had been taking care of him for Embo), and was ready to defend his master.

Suddenly, halfway to Embo's part of the garden, they saw a large group of Bounty Hunters running in the same direction! And at the front…

"Tanoka?!" Ahsoka cried in disbelief, causing the older Togruta woman to glance towards her, a feral grin forming.

"'Soka! Fancy meeting you here!" she said jokingly, as the three Jedi caught up. "I was just coming to pick up some extra fish our mutual friend Embo has, when Vevera intercepted Padme's message to you! We're not letting that two-faced pretender get away with this!"

"That's right!" two other women, a Korun and a Nautolan, said, fire in their eyes.

Then, they arrived, swarming the area, but giving the duelists room. The two downed Jedi were encircled by the Bounty Hunters, the Korun and Nautolan going to them.

"Mace, are you ok?" the Korun woman asked, helping the Jedi sit up. He winced at the pain, but then recognized her.

"Urii?"

Meanwhile, the Nautolan woman turned Master Fisto onto his back, lifting his head. "Kit? Kit, can you hear me?"

A magenta-skinned Theelin woman with electric-blue eyes and hair knelt on the ground next to the two Jedi, pulling medical supplies out of her pack, while the rest of the group formed a defensive circle around them.

Embo was fighting as hard as he could to keep the Sith away from the others, skillfully blocking and attacking with a grace that made it appear that he was dancing to some unknown melody.

Suddenly, a red blade caught him in the side! It was just a graze, but enough to cause a small, steady stream of blood to soak into his clothes. Embo barely managed to block the second blade, wincing at the pain.

"You cannot hope to best me," Palpatine snarled, preparing t deliver a killing blow… but a blur of cobalt blue and dark grey/black came flying at him, knocking his lightsaber out of his hands as he hit the ground!

It was Cad Bane, pinning the Sith to the ground and punching him relentlessly! Obi-Wan went to stop him, but Embo held him back.

" **Don't,** " the Kyuzo said, recognizing what was happening, " **he's not in control of himself; he could turn on you!** "

"But…"

" **No,** " Embo said firmly, left hand pressed to the wound on his side. " **I don't want him to severely injure you, and then get upset when he's in control again.** "

Suddenly, Bane was blasted off of the Sith by a powerful pulse of Force energy, going flying and slamming into a large tree in the garden next to Embo's! Some large limbs broke off on impact, splinters flying everywhere, and Cad landed in a heap on the ground, some of the branches falling on him!

"Bane!" Ahsoka cried out, running to the Duros, while a cobalt-blue Duros woman, clad in a dark silver jumpsuit, followed. Meanwhile, Embo faced the Sith again, and, acting on some unknown instinct, drew one of the knives he had from its sheath, and, faster than the eye could follow, launched it at Palpatine.

A flash of silver, and the blade hit home, embedding itself dee in the Sith's chest. The man dropped lifelessly to the ground.

It was over.

Embo had faced down the monster from his past, and _won_.

Then, in his head, he heard a vaguely-familiar voice whisper to him, ' _ **I knew you could do it, baby brother. Well done.**_ '

" **Mavo?** " Embo whispered, too soft for the others to hear, but the voice of his oldest brother chuckled.

' _ **Yes, Embo, it's me. I'm so, so proud of you, baby brother,**_ ' he said, and Embo smiled as the voice faded away.

"Embo?" The Kyuzo looked over, and saw Anakin holding the knife that killed Palpatine. "This yours?"

" **Sort of…** " he replied, taking the weapon. When he saw Anakin's confusion, he elaborated, " **it used to belong to by eldest brother, Mavo, along with the other knife I carry… they were his, before…** "

Comprehension dawned on Anakin then, as he said, "I'm sorry… he must have been a great warrior."

" **From what I've been told, he was,** " Embo said, wiping the blood from the knife and sliding it back into its sheath. " **The knives were given to me as a gift for my coming-of-age ceremony; they're all have to remember him by… other than that** _ **horrible**_ **memory…** "

Suddenly, the Duros woman ran up to Embo, tears in her eyes. "Embo! Come quick, it's Cad!"

As fast as his injuries allowed, Embo rushed over to where his best friend lay on the ground, surrounded by shards of wood and thick broken branches, Ahsoka cradling his head in her lap. Cad's eyes were barely open, just thin slits of red showing, and his breathing was harsh and uneven. His clothes were torn (though his hat had somehow remained undamaged, now lying on the ground), and green blood was seeping out of various cuts and scratches, some pieces of wood remaining embedded in his flesh.

Embo knelt beside his best friend, his right hand gently checking the wounds, as the others gathered around them (except for Windu, Kit, and the three women caring for them).

"Embo, can't you do something?" the Duros woman asked, her tears now running down her cheeks. The Kyuzo sighed.

" **I'm going to try my best, Sihmi,** " he said, placing his right hand on Cad's chest, closing his eyes. Reaching through the Force, he found multiple broken bones, numerous lacerations, internal bleeding, and some shards of wood embedded so deep that they couldn't be seen.

One of them had punctured a lung.

With the Force, Embo eased that shard out, forcing himself to ignored the pained groans of his friend. Once it was out, he healed the wound, closing the hole in his lung and mending the torn muscle and skin. A few more shards were removed in this fashion, and then he repaired the damaged organs that had been causing the internal bleeding.

After repairing three broken ribs and ten large slashes, Embo was pale and shaky from the effort, and was forced to stop. He pulled his hand away, nearly collapsing from exhaustion.

" **I've… done what… I can…** " the Kyuzo said tiredly, trying to keep his balance. Sugi came over, kneeling beside him and slinging his right arm around her shoulders, to help him stand up. A tall, lupine, red-furred humanoid man, wearing only black cargo pants and an ammo bandolier, lifted Bane into his muscular arms, gold eyes looking at him worriedly.

"Let's get them to the Halls of Healing," Obi-Wan said, already headed that way.

They all hoped they would get there in time...

* * *

The moment the four wounded men were brought into the Halls of Healing, they were rushed into treatment by the Jedi Healers. While the rest of the group waited for the Healers to give them news, Obi-Wan turned to the man who had carried Bane.

"Pardon my asking, but what are you? I have never encountered one such as you before." To his surprise, the man grinned toothily at him, revealing many sharp teeth.

"My name is Barkour, Master Jedi," he said, his accent making his 'b's, 'r's, 'k's and 'o's more pronounced in growling, whining, and wolfish howling tones. "My species is the Lupinions, from the planet Arboonorr, outside of what your Republic deems 'known space.'"

"Fascinating," Obi-Wan said, noting how the Lupinion's accent seemed largely based off of the sounds that canine and lupine creatures made. "But… why have you ventured into Republic space, so far from your world?"

Barkour chuckled deeply, "Because, as a skilled hunter and warrior, Master Jedi, I desired to hunt for more challenging prey."

* * *

Embo lay in the treatment room, fighting sleep, while a Healer and her Padawan were treating his wound.

"You really should rest, Embo," the Padawan, a pink Twi'lek girl in her mid-teens named Hara Tuu, said. The Kyuzo shook his head wearily.

" **Not… not until… I know… Cad will… recover…** " at these words, the Healer, a middle-aged Chiss named Slisi'aguane'rine (she shortens it to Sliani, for simplicity), sighed.

"Embo, you need to rest, your body is virtually running purely on adrenaline now…" When she saw his pleading look, however, she relented. "Hara, go see how the Duros is doing."

"Of course, Master," the Twi'lek bowed, then hurried out. Embo kept fighting sleep, though his body screamed at him to rest. Then, five minutes later, Hara came back. "Good news; thanks to your actions, Embo, Bane will make a full recovery."

The Kyuzo sighed in relief, finally letting his eyes drift shut. Deep in his mind, as he fell asleep, he heard Mavo speak to him.

' _ **Rest well, Embo; I and our brothers will watch over you…**_ '

* * *

Sihmi sat at her husband's bedside, holding his limp hand in a gentle grip. He looked peaceful, lying on the recovery bed, his wounds bandaged, and his breathing slow and even.

She had nearly _lost_ him. He was her heart, her soul, and he had nearly died. ' _I can't believe this happened… This… it's all the Republic's fault!_ '

Then, Embo's expression of horror at seeing Cad's injuries flashed across her mind, and her inner rage cooled. ' _No… not the Republic… Palpatine tricked even the Jedi… no, it's Palpatine's fault; he did this to Cad, and Embo, and pulled the wool over everyone's eyes._ '

"But he's gone now," the female Duros whispered to herself, "he's gone, and he won't ever hurt anyone again…"

* * *

A week later, Cad and Embo were saying a fond farewell to each other. Bane, his chest and arms bandaged and a cast on his right leg, was going home to the colony to rest and recover.

"Sorry about having to take both your ship and Sugi's," the Duros said, leaning on his wife for support, "but Tanoka needs to borrow them. She's also going to update the maps."

" **It's fine,** " the Kyuzo answered, smiling behind his mask. He felt completely relaxed for the first time since he could remember, and it showed. He no longer had the look of long-suffered pain in his posture, although the slightly-haunted look in his eyes may never fade completely. " **I heard that the new Chancellor has requested permission to build a Republic base on New Earth; how far has that gone?** "

"Tanoka is considering it," Sihmi said, smiling, "I think she'll allow it, though. Unlike that other Chancellor, Chancellor Chuchi is level-headed and fair to everyone."

" **Good to hear,** " Embo said, then sadly said, " **I'm going to miss all of you…** "

"And we'll miss you, Pal," Cad said, smiling sadly. "But you need the Jedi's help sorting your head out the rest of the way. 'Sides, Sugi'll be here for you."

" **Get better soon, Cad…** "

"Take care of yourself…"

* * *

 _ **AND THAT'S IT! I hope you all have enjoyed this fic; I sure had a lot of fun writing it! I AM going to post a sequel to this soon, so keep an eye out for that!**_

 _ **And… I just remembered… Everyone, this is the first fic I've completed in over a year! GO ME!**_

 _ **R &R!**_


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